From History of Ipswich Chess Club
The Balaclava charge – originated in Ipswich, 1873.
There is an account of the first published East Anglian tournament 5-7 November 1873 by the Suffolk Mercury newspaper, Ipswich. Where East Anglian amateurs have mustered in force to contend in a grand tournament, originated by the flourishing and prosperous chess club which met at the Mechanics’ Institute in Ipswich. Through the liberality of the residents of the district the committee were enabled to offer more than £60 in prizes, and though chess is the one game which needs no stimulus but the quest of honour and victory, the prospect of substantial trophies to commemorate success had doubtless an influence in drawing together such a concourse of players as has never met before in the eastern counties …
Additional interest was lent to the proceedings by the presence throughout the meeting of Mr Blackburne, the famous blindfold player, who tied for the first prize at Vienna, and who gratified several skilful amateurs with specimens of his play. Mr Blackburne won two or three hardly-contested games of Mr Howard Taylor, of Norwich (author of Chess Brilliants), but was unexpectedly vanquished by Mr Charles Gocher, of Ipswich, who treated him with a local invention, known as the ‘Balaclava Charge’ – a radically unsound but slashing opening, to which the celebrated player succumbed …”
